Baseboard heater assembly



1965 D. M. CUNNINGHAM 3,

BASEBOARD HEATER ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 1, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

Donatd M-Cunningham Jan. 12, 1965 o. M. CUNNINGHAM BASEBOARD HEATER ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1951 I x l illllllirlillfli villi IIIIIIIIIIIIIA INVENTOR. Domficl Mflunningfmm. av

, Tram/7 1! illllllflllilllll lllilallllllra Ja'm' 1965 D. M. CUNNINGHAM 3,

BASEBOARD HEATER ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 1, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,165,624 BASEBOARD HEATER ASSEMBLY Donald. M. Cunningham, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Edwin L. Wiegand Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Fiied Sept. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 135,650

' 13 Claims. (Cl. 219365) The present invention relates to electric heaters, more particularly to so-called baseboard heaters, and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved electric heaters of the character described.

Electric heating for homes and the like is gaining ever increasing popularity with the most widely used type of heater being the baseboard heater. Such a heater is very eflicient since it can be placed at the place of greatest heat loss (the outside walls), is relatively low in cost and simply installed, and occupies space otherwise unusable.

Because of the inherent advantages of baseboard heaters, many different types have been marketed. Unfortunately, most prior art designs have been unduly high in cost because of a multiplicity of complicated parts, many such heaters tend to operate at dangerously high temperatures, especially if their heat output is adequate, and most have been time-consuming to assemble.

The present invention provides a highly eflicient base board heater having a minimum number of parts consistent with safe, effective operation. Furthermore, such parts are easily assembled since most simply slide together. Other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the drawings appended hereto.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purpose of illustration an embodiment which the invention may assume, and in these drawings: 7

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a baseboard heater constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view generally corresponding to the line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, broken sectional view generally corresponding to the line 33 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a'partially exploded perspective view of oneend of theheater of the present invention.

Briefly, and in common with many heaters of the baseboard type, the present heater comprises an elongated, channel-shaped sheet metal member having a web portion 11 and vertically spaced flange portions 12 and 13. Such member is adapted to be-secured at the base of a wall in a room to be heated, the lower flange portion 13 resting on the floor, or beingspaced slightly thereabove, and the web portion 11 fitting against the wall so that the member flange portions project inwardly of the room.

Supportedin spaced relation within the member 10 is an elongated, electric heating element 14. Sheet metal baflies 15' and 16 are respectively 'disposedin front of and behind the heating element forming passages for convective air flow through the heater. A front plate 17 is spaced .from the front baffle 15 to provide a convective air passage therebetween. Plate 17 prevents draperies, furniture and even exploratory fingers from contacting the portion of battle 15 adjacent the element, which portion becomes quite hot, and also imparts a finished appearance to the assembly.

3,165,624 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 ice.

Turning now to the more specific construction and with particular reference to FIGURE 1, each end of member llfl'carries a terminal box indicated generally by the reference character 18. Since the boxes are identical,

with the exception that they are of opposite hand, only one is shown and described in detail.

As best seen in FIGURE 4, each box is formed of relatively heavy sheet metal to provide an end wall 19, an inner wall 20 spaced from wall 19, and a rear wall 21 preferably formed integrally with the walls 19, 20. The upper portion of rear wall 21 is bent forwardly at 22 for a punpose to appear.

Referring momentarily to FIGURES 2 and 3, box 18 fits closely between the spaced flanges 12, 13 of member 10 with its rear wall adjacent the member web portion 11 and with its end wall at the end of the member. The free, forward margins of flange portions 12, 13 are retroverted (FIGURES 2 and 4) to provide respective beads 23, 24 for a purpose to be seen. The upper, free end portion of each terminal box wall 19, 21) has a protuberance 25 for tightly fitting within the bead 23 of the mamber flange portion 12, the lower free ends of the box walls terminating adjacent the head 24 or" the flange portion 13. Each terminal box may be welded or otherwise secured to the member 11) to provide a unitary structure.

With particular reference to FIGURE 4 and for reasons which will later be disclosed, wall 20 has an outwardly facing .slot-26, a lanced out inclined tongue 27 adjacent the member web 11 and projecting outwardly of the box, and a pair of vertically spaced, lanced-out apertured tabs 28 in the same plane and projecting. inwardly of the box. Wall 19 has a pair of lanced-out apertured, tabs 29 which also project inwardly of the box and which are in the same plane as the tabs 28. Each wall 19, 20

has a central, outwardly projecting portion 30 providing vertically spaced, upper and lower projections 31, 32.

Upper projections 31 project upwardly and are aligned with each otherwhile the lower projections project downwar'dly and are also aligned with each other.

Extending between the terminal boxes 18 at respective ends of the member 11) is a transversely curved plate 33 whose lower margin is seated in the head 24 of the member flange 13 while its upper margin is engaged beneath one or more tabs 34 struck'out from the member web 11. As illustrated, plate .33 cooperates with the flange 13 of the member 19. and the lower portion of thelatters web 11 to provide a channel for receiving suitable electrical wining, each terminal box wall 20 having an opening 35 aligned with such channel through which'the wiring may be extended. a

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, heating element 14 and baffles 15, 16 form a sub-assembly which is adapted to be unitarily secured to the member 10 between its flanges 12, 13 in a manner to be disclosedfollowing a description of the individual sub-assemblyparts and their mode of cooperation with each other.v

As best seen in FIGURE 3, element 14 comprises a rectilinear. tubular metallic sheathed electric resistance heating element of the conventional type having an intermediate heat-generating portion and terminal end portions for conducting electrical energy tothe heat-generat-'- ment, a sheet metal fin 38 is wound inspiral fashion about the exterior of the tubular element sheath 37, such fin being brazed or otherwise disposed in eflicient, heattransfer relation with such sheath.

Turning now to the rear baffle 16 and as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, such baffle extends longitudinally of the heat-generating element portion and is generally trough-like in transverse section with a back wall 39 and diverging upper and lower walls 40, 41. Walls 40, 41 project forwardly away from the web 11 of member and each is margined by a retroverted portion providing inwardly and rearwardly facing respective beads 42 and 43 for a purpose to appear. At substantially the center of the bafile 16, there is secured a sheet metal bracket 44. Such bracket has spaced-apart rearwardly extending legs 45 which pass through apertures 46 in the rear wall 39 of the bafile 16 and terminate adjacent to but spaced from the web 11 of the member 10. Bracket 44 also has forwardly extending, spaced-apart legs 47 which pass through apertures 48 formed in the front baiile and terminate adjacent to but spaced from the the front plate 17. A forwardly facing slot 49 is formed in the bracket 44 between the legs 47 to closely receive the element sheath 37. A tab 50 (see also FIG- URE 3) extends transversely of the bracket and is adapted to be spot welded or the like to the adjoining face of bafile 16 to secure the latter and the bracket together. Bracket 44 thus serves as a compression strut to limit deflection of the front cover 17 in the event it is struck a blow by furniture or the like being forced thereagainst; however, the normal spacing shown between the legs 45 and the web 11 and between the legs 47 and the front plate 17 insuring against noise during differential expansion of the various parts during heating and cooling cycles.

Still referring to FIGURES 2 and 4, front baflle 15 is co-extensive with the rear bafiie 16 and spans the free ends of its Walls 40, 41, the upper and lower margins of bafile 15 being removably sprung into respective beads 42, 43 of the baffle 16 for assembly purposes. Adjacent its upper and lower margins, baffle 15 is apertured at 51 (see FIGURE 4) to provide for free air circulation therebehind. At each end of baflie 15, a pair of verically spaced tabs 52 are struck therefrom to project toward the baffle 16 (see also FIGURE 3). Similarly a pair of vertically spaced tabs 53 are struck from each end of baffie 16 to project toward the baffle 15.

Completing the element-bafiie sub-assembly are retainers 54 positioned at respective ends thereof and, since such retainers are preferably identical, only one need be shown and described in detail. As seen in FIG- URE 4, retainer 54 is formed of sheet metal to a U- shape to provide spaced-apart legs 55 connected by a bight 56. Formed in the legs 55 is a pair of aligned slots 57 for receiving the end of the bafiie 15 and a pair of aligned slots 58 for receiving the end of the bafiie 16. The legs 55 of the retainer 54 are spaced apart an amount to closely fit between the previously described pairs of tabs 52, 53 respectively formed in the bafiies 15, 16. The retainer bight 56 is apertured to slidably receive the element sheath 37 (FIGURE 3), such bight also being slotted at 59 to pass mounting screws 60.

To assemble the foregoing structure, the heating elemeat 14 will be inserted transversely-between the walls 40, 41 of the rear baffle 16 with the element sheath within the slot 49 of the bracket 44 and with the sheath ends projecting substantially equally beyond respective ends of the baflie. Baffle 15 will then be positioned adjacent bafile 16 with the bracket legs 47 projecting through the front baifiev apertures 48. The longitudinally extending margins of bafiie 15 will then be sprung into respective adjoining beads, 42, 43 of the rear baffle. It is to be noted that the front baffle 15 is retained against longitudinal movement relative to the rear baffle 16 by means of the bracket 44 carried by the rear bafiie, the legs 47 thereof passing through the front baffle apertures 48. Furthermore, the heating element 14 is also held against longitudinal movement relative to the baffles since adjoining element fin convolutions 38a, 33b (FIGURE 3) are disposed on respective sides of the bracket 44.

Retainers 54 will then be slid over respective terminal ends of the heating element with respective adjoining ends of the bafile 15 in the retainer slots 57 and with respective adjoining ends of the baffie 16 in respective retainer slots 58. As previously mentioned, baffle tabs 52, 53 abut the retainer legs to maintain the retainers and thus the heating element in proper alignment between the baflies.

Next, a sub-assembly formed of the heating element, the baffles and the retainers 'will be inserted between the member webs 12, 13 with the terminal ends of the heating element within the slots 26 of respective terminal boxes 18, with the bafile 16 adjacent the member 11, and with the retainers 54 abutting respective terminal box walls 20. The sub-assembly will then be pushed rearwardly toward the member web 11 until the retainers 54 wedge between respective inclined terminal box tongues 27 and the terminal box walls 20, the tongues 27 closely fitting between the retainer legs 55 to limit vertical movement of the retainers. The screws 60 will then be passed through the retainer slots 59 and into suitable apertures in respective terminal box walls 20 and tightened to removably lock respective retainers in position.

Since the heating element 14 is held against longitudinal movement solely at its center as previously described, longitudinal expansion and contraction thereof during heating and cooling cycles will take place at both terminal ends of the element which are slidably supported by respective retainers 54. Because this expansion and contraction takes place at both ends of the element rather than one, creaking of the assembly during heating and cooling cycles is markedly reduced as is the possibility of over flexing the electrical leads attached to the terminal pins 36.

Each terminal box may then be closed by a cover 61 having an inclined upper margin 62 which cooperates with the upper portion 22 of respective terminal boxes. Suitable screws may be passed through slots formed in the covers 61 and into respective, apertured terminal box tabs 28, 29 to removably retain the covers in position. Finally, the front plate 17 will be installed by springing it over the projections 31, 32 of the terminal box wall portions 30.

With particular reference to FIGURE 2, it is to be noted that convective air flow may take place between the baffles 15, 16 and over the element 14 through the apertures 51 of the battle 15. Furthermore, convective air flow will also take place between the rear baffie 16 and the member web 11 and between the front bafiie 15 and the front plate 17 to thus maintain the latter and member 10 at temperatures well beneath accepted maximum safe limits.

In the event air flow through the passages above described should be blocked by means of a pillow or other article inadvertently placed against the face of the heater assembly, dangerously high temperatures could be reached. To obviate such high temperatures, a limit switch 63 (FIGURES 2 and 3) may be secured to the rear of the rear bafiie 16 and interconnected in the electrical power circuit so as to interrupt current flow to the heating element upon an abnormal temperature rise.

In installations where the heater assembly is to be controlled by an integral thermostat, either one of the terminal box wall portions 22 may be utilized for mounting the latter where it will be protected against direct heat from the assembly but responsive to the temperature of the room in which the heater assembly is installed.

, In view ofthe foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will be apparent tothose' skilled in th e'ar't that the embodiment herein described may be v'arious'iythanged and modified, Without departing treatise spirit of theinvention, and that the inventionis capabl of uses and has advantages not herein specificially deathbed; hence it will be appreciatedthat the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that my inventionis not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. A baseboard heater comprising an elongated sheet metal member adapted to be secured to a wall of a room to be heated, a sheathed, embedded, electric resistance heating element adjacent to and coextending with said member and having an intermediate heat-generating portion providing radially extending, heat-radiating fins, a sheet metal bafiie disposed between the intermediate portion of said element and said member to protect the latter from excess heat, first support means carried by said member and engaged with respective ends of said element and said bafile for maintaining them in predetermined spaced relation with each other and .with said member and said means slidably supporting respective element ends for axial expansion and contraction movement during heating and cooling cycles thereof, and second support means carried by said baffle intermediate said first support means and disposed between adjoining element fins for limiting axial element movement.

2. A baseboard heater comprising an elongated, channel-shaped sheet metal member having spaced flange portions connected by a web portion and adapted to be secured to a wall of a room to be heatedwith its flange portions vertically spacedlfrom each other and facing the interior of the room, a terminal box at each end of said member between its flange portions and adjoining sides of such boxes having a slot facing in a direction toward the room interior, an elongated, tubular sheathed electric resistance heating element extending longitudinally of said member between its flange portions and in spaced relation with the latter and with said Web portion, said element having terminal end portions projecting into respective terminal boxes through said terminal box slots for electrical circuit connections, a pair of laterally spacedapart sheet metal baflies on opposite sides of said element extending longitudinally of the intermediate portion of the latter and between said terminal boxes, a channelshaped bracket at respective ends of said baffles each having a Web portion and spaced flange portions, each bracket web portion having an aperture for closely receiving a respective element terminal end and each bracket flange portion having slots for closely receiving respective adjoining bafiie ends for maintaining such baflle ends in predetermined relation and for maintaining said element in predetermined relation with said baffles, and means removably securing said brackets to respective adjoining terminal box sides. 1

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein said means at least in part comprises a tongue carried by adjoining terminal box sides and slidably engaged with respective bracket web portions.

4. The construction of claim 2 wherein each baffle provides abutments engaged with respective bracket flange portions for transversely locating said brackets with re spect to said baffles.

5. The construction of claim 2 wherein said brackets slidably support respective element ends for axial expansion and contraction movement during heating and cooling cycles thereof, wherein the intermediate, heatgenerating portion of said element has radially extending, heat-radiating fins, and wherein'second support means is carried by one of said baffles and is disposed between adjoining element fins at substantially the center of said element to limit axial element movement.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein said bafiies have longitudinally extending, removably interconnected adjoining marginal portions, wherein one of said bafiies is adjacent the web of said channel-shaped member and theother is spaced outwardly therefrom, and wherein said other baflie is apertured adajce'nt its said marginal portions to provide for air flow therebehind'and over said element.

7. A baseboard heater, comprising an elongated, channel-shaped sheet metal member having spaced flange portions connected by a web portion and adapted to be secured to a Wall ofa room to be heated with its flange portions vertically spaced from each other and facing the interior of the room, an elongated electric heating element extending longitudinally of said member between its flange portions and in spaced relation with the lattter and with said web portion, a pair of spaced-apart sheet metal baffles extending longitudinally of said element with the latter disposed in spaced relation therebetween, a channel-shaped sheet metal bracket at each end'of said baffles, each of the flanges of each bracket being formed with a pair of slots to closely receive the end portion of respective baffles and the web portion of each bracket being apertured to slidably receive a respective end of said heating element, each baflie having a pair of tabs struck out therefrom and spaced to closely receive therebetween the flanges of each bracket to maintain the latter in predetermined relation with said baffles.

8. In a baseboard heater adapted to be secured to the wall of a room, an elongated outer member providing a longitudinal channel-shaped space, and a sub-assembly comprising a pair of elongated sheet-metal baflles and an elongated electric heating element, said baffles facing and having upper and lower marginal edge portions engaging each other and joined to form means for holding said baffles assembled and for holding those longitudinal portions of said bafi'les which are located intermediate said upper and lower marginal edge portions in spaced relation to form a longitudinal space into which said heating element is disposed and held, one of said baflies having upper and lower openings to provide for convection circulation of air vertically through said longitudinal space, and means holding said sub-assembly longitudinally within said channel-shaped space with one bafiie rearmost and facing the web forming part of said channel space.

9. The construction of claim 8 wherein the upper and lower longitudinal edge portions are joined by a seam joint.

10. The construction according to claim 8 wherein a sheet metal bracket is disposed intermediate the length of said baffles and has a portion within the space between said bafiies engaging opposed inner surfaces of said bafiles to maintain the spacing between said baffles.

11. The construction according to claim 9 wherein said bracket has a rear leg portion extending through an opening in said rearmost battle, said leg portion being engageable with the surface defining said web to maintain an air space between said web surface and the facing surface of said rearmost baffle.

12. The construction according to claim 11 and further including a front plate in facing but spaced relation with the foremost of said bafiies, said bracket having a front leg portion extend-ing through an opening in said foremost baflie and engageable with said front plate to maintain the spacing between it and said foremost batfle.

13. A baseboard heater, comprising an elongated sheet metal member adapted to be secured to a Wall of a room to be heated, an elongated sheathed resistance heating element adjacent to and generally coextensive with said member, a metal strip wound spirally around the sheath of said heating element to extend the heating surface of said sheath, the winding of said strip stopping short of respective ends of said sheath, a pair of first brackets carried by said member, each bracket engaging a respective end of said sheath at that portion which is free of said strip to support such end for axial movement, and a second support bracket held stationary with said sheet metal member and engaging said sheath at an intermediate portion, said second support bracket being disposed between eonvolutions of said spirally wound strip and .engageable therewith to restrict axial movement of said intermediate sheathportion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Hicks July 16, 1957 Paley Dec. 3, 1957 Parks et a1. Dec. 23, 1958 Calhoun Aug. 11, 1959 Harrell et-al Feb. 6, 1962 Knoll e, a1. Aug. 28, 1962 Mast Apr. 2, 1963 

2. A BASEBOARD HEATER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, CHANNEL-SHAPED SHEET METAL MEMBER HAVING SPACED FLANGE PORTIONS CONNECTED BY A WEB PORTION AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A WALL OF A ROMM TO BE HEATED WITH ITS FLANGE PORTIONS VERTICALLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND FACING THE INTERIOR OF THE ROOM, A TERMINAL BOX AT EACH END OF SAID MEMBER BETWEEN ITS FLANGE PORTIONS AND ADJOINING SIDES OF SUCH BOXES HAVING A SLOT FACING IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE ROOM INTERIOR, AN ELONGATED, TUBULAR SHEATHED ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER BETWEEN ITS FLANGE PORTIONS AND IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE LATTER AND WITH SAID WEB PORTION, SAID ELEMENT HAVING TERMINAL END PORTIONS PROJECTING INTO RESPECTIVE TERMINAL BOXES THROUGH SAID TERMINAL BOX SLOTS FOR ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS, A PAIR OF LATERIALLY SPACEDAPART SHEET METAL BAFFLES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE LATTER AND BETWEEN SAID TERMINAL BOXES, A CHANNELSHAPED BRACKET AT RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID BAFFLES EACH HAVING A WEB PORTION AND SPACED FLANGE PORTIONS, EACH PRACKET WEB PORTION HAVING AN APERTURE FOR CLOSELY RECEIVING A RESPECTIVE ELEMENT TERMINAL END AND EACH BRACKET FLANGE PORTION HAVING SLOTS FOR CLOSELY RECEIVING RESPECTIVE ADJOINING BAFFLE ENDS FOR MAINTAINING SUCH BAFFLE ENDS IN PREDETERMINED RELATION AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID ELEMENT IN PREDETERMINED RELATION WITH SAID BAFFLES, AND MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID BRACKETS TO RESPECTIVE ADJOINING TERMINAL BOX SIDES. 